Face recognition is a biometric technology that identifies or verifies an individual based on their facial features. It is widely used in applications such as security, authentication, and personalized services.
The process begins with detecting a face in an image or video using algorithms like Haar cascades, YOLO, or deep learning-based detectors. Once a face is identified, the system extracts features, such as the distance between eyes, the shape of the jawline, and the contours of the face, to create a unique numerical representation called an embedding.
The embedding is then compared against a database of known embeddings using similarity metrics like cosine similarity or Euclidean distance. If a match exceeds a predefined threshold, the system identifies or verifies the person.
Face recognition has diverse applications, including unlocking devices, enabling access control, monitoring security in public spaces, and providing tailored customer experiences. Advanced systems often include liveness detection to prevent spoofing attacks using photos or videos.
While highly effective, face recognition raises concerns around privacy, data security, and bias in recognition models. Developers must ensure robust data protection measures and comply with legal regulations when deploying this technology.